


First Time For Everything

by imaginethat57



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: And alludes to the Cardassian's rape of Bajorans, F/F, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Mentions Garak, Pre-Relationship, mostly - Freeform, nothing graphic at all
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-09
Updated: 2020-06-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:20:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24619750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginethat57/pseuds/imaginethat57
Summary: The first time Kira hugs Dax, it takes her by surprise. This woman who has only been in her life for such a short time, and who is often so full of anger, hasn't let anyone else on this station close to her. Evidently, her efforts to befriend Kira haven't been in vain.
Relationships: Jadzia Dax/Kira Nerys
Comments: 12
Kudos: 52





	First Time For Everything

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! I'm brand new to the fandom, and I have just had to try my hand at writing for these two. I'm imagining this set some time around season 1.

The day had been long, and the release from her duty shift had been a welcome relief for Dax, despite having garnered little satisfaction from the completion of a day’s work. The unease from the events of that afternoon had hung in the air for the rest of the shift, settling on the shoulders of the operations deck crew with a heavy awkwardness. Now free from the requirements of propriety and professional protocol, Dax strode along the promenade of the station, searching for someone in particular.

After only a few moments, she located the one she was looking for, spotting the small frame and red uniform among the others bustling about. She smiled upon seeing her friend, sitting on a bench on the upper level of the promenade, gazing out impassively over the crowds of people, and continued to pick her way over to the other woman. With determined steps, she set to the winding staircase that connected to the upper level, finally able to say what she had wanted to say hours ago. She approached her friend, and wasted no time.

“For what it’s worth, you didn’t deserve any of that.” Her voice was low, not enough to draw the attention of anyone else around them. The genuine intent behind her words, however, was not lost by the soft intonation with which she spoke.

Kira looked up at Dax from her hunched, seated position, the motion sharp and jerky with surprise at being spoken to unexpectedly. She said nothing at first, simply staring. Her nostrils flared, while the muscle of her tightly clenched jaw jumped beneath her skin. The ferocity in her eyes was almost enough to intimidate Dax. Almost. Rage was simmering in Kira, threatening to spill over her carefully constructed control, and only the woman’s fierce will was keeping the ire contained. The same will that had allowed her to bite her tongue while her commanding officer had chewed her out earlier that afternoon.

“I’m the station’s first officer,” Kira spoke finally, her voice an icy parody of Commander Sisko’s words to her from a few hours before, “I can’t go around punching every Cardassian I see.” 

Dax sat down next to Kira on the bench, mimicking her posture, with elbows resting on her knees and hands clasped together. Unwavering in the gentleness of her voice, Dax said, “Sure, but you didn’t start this. Garak grabbed you.”

“I’m supposed to hold myself to a higher standard, remember?” Kira spat.

“Maybe,” Dax allowed. She couldn’t pretend this wasn’t true, Kira bore the burden of a high level of command, second only to Sisko. She could not escape certain expectations that the position placed upon her. “But I don’t think that should mean you’re not allowed to knock someone on their ass for putting their hands on you without your consent.”

Kira made a terse, short sound of disgust, ejected from her chest with force and vitriol, and turned to gaze out at the promenade again. Her eyes were hard, fury filled, yet unfocused as she bit out, “Consent has never mattered much to any of the Cardassians I’ve encountered.”

Dax swallowed hard over the lump forming suddenly in her throat. Kira spoke so rarely of the Occupation, and shared even less of her own specific experiences. What little Dax knew of the Cardassian’s brutalization of the Bajoran people was enough to turn her stomach, and to make her want to hurl vicious curses at anyone who would hurt the woman whose profile she was currently studying intently. More than anything though, was the urge to wrap her arms around Kira, hold her tightly and attempt to soothe the pain, if only just a little. She knew Kira too well, however, to ever dare coddle her. And she would certainly never put her hands on her without her permission, the very thing she was condemning Garak for in this moment.

Pushing the topic of the Occupation rarely went anywhere productive with Kira, often prompting her to reinforce the distance she maintained from all of her colleagues. Despite Dax having taken it upon herself to decide that Kira was her friend, she didn’t believe Kira considered her in the same light, that she considered anyone on this station a friend. Kira was far from a gentle soul, in fact she often reminded Dax of a gosra, a creature from her home world, tiny but well known for being full of spiteful vigor. Beneath all the fury and the hurt, though, Kira was deeply caring and compassionate. A truly kind soul, if not a gentle one. One among so many Bajorans who had already suffered far too much, and one who Dax had come to care for and respect, despite the relatively short period of time they had been stationed together. As such, she refused to let the comment pass without reaching out to her friend in some way. Quietly, with every ounce of conviction she could infuse into her voice, Dax repeated, “Nerys, you didn’t deserve any of that.”

The use of her given name had caused Kira to draw her eyes back to Dax. Her shoulders were so tense, Dax wondered how Kira was able to hold the muscles drawn so tightly without fracturing something internal. From the moisture collecting in the other woman’s eyes, she could tell that Kira understood she was referring to so much more than Sisko’s lecture in this moment. But she said nothing, merely pinned Dax with her stare. She had pushed enough for one conversation, she figured. So, when Kira chose not to respond, when she turned her head back to look out over the dozens of people either hurrying around or gathering on the promenade and clenched her jaw so tightly Dax wondered if she might be at risk for breaking that too, she said nothing else. Instead, she sat next to her friend in silence, unyielding in her companionable presence, but allowing Kira the space to assert her own boundaries on her willingness to engage with this subject.

Eventually, Kira did seem to relax. Not much, but Dax worried less that she would have to call the infirmary to treat Kira for tension induced stress fractures. Whatever interest Kira had had before in watching the passersby of the large commercial area of the station had left her, and instead her focus had now been drawn to staring at her boots and she seemed even more slumped than before.

After long minutes, Kira spoke again. “Hopefully this will at least make Garak think twice about going around grabbing people,” she muttered.

“If the look on his face when you sent him ass over teakettle is anything to go by, I don’t think he’ll be trying that again any time soon.” If Garak hadn’t learned his lesson, Dax knew she would be happy to provide any supplemental reinforcement required. She also knew Kira could, and would, take care of herself though. Pushing the thought aside, instead she focused her efforts on the task at hand of lifting Kira’s spirits. She leaned in conspiratorially, and said in a low voice, “It was worth a good laugh if nothing else.”

“The only good thing to come out of this mess.” Kira’s tone was still bitter, but Dax could see the smallest hint of a smile surfacing. This wasn’t exactly the time to try to figure out just why that smile, and knowing she had been the one to put it there, caused such pleasant warmth to fill her. Dax chose to simply enjoy the moment, unbothered with the trivialities of why.

A beat passed before Kira furrowed her brow and asked with slight bemusement, "Ass over teakettle?"

"A human expression," Dax supplied with a good natured grin. "Benjamin taught it to me."

Kira said nothing beyond a hum of mild interest, her expression souring somewhat again thinking of Sisko. They sat in silence together for a little while longer, Kira returning to people watching. Dax alternated between joining her, and stealing glances over at her friend, trying to assess how dark the cloud looming over her still was. She’d lost track of time when Kira let out a brief sigh, and stood up. 

Dax stood as well, and offered Kira a genuine smile. Kira looked unsure of herself, but before Dax had a chance to ask if something else was bothering her friend, Kira darted forward and threw her arms around her. Less than pulling Dax to her smaller form, she seemed to anchor onto her and pull herself in as she wrapped her arms around Dax’s midsection. Fortunately, Dax was able to shake off the surprise quickly enough to return the hug before Kira might fear she’d overstepped a boundary. She folded her own arms over Kira, and squeezed her shoulders lightly, just enough for Kira to be sure that Dax welcomed the overt gesture of friendship.

As abruptly as she’d initiated the hug, Kira pulled away. Sheepish was never a word Dax would have applied to Kira, but there was an element of awkward embarrassment underlying the other woman’s features that made Dax wonder when the last time Kira had let anyone near to her. She knew better than to acknowledge any component of Kira’s insecurity in this, and offered only a beatific smile in response. 

“Want to grab a drink at Quark’s?” She asked, not wanting to lose the chance to continue building this friendship.

Kira nodded, the stiffness of her posture returning, but the dark cloud about her had seemed to lessen. “Sure, I could use one.”

Dax dipped her head, tucked her hands behind her back, and the two walked down the promenade side by side.


End file.
